WhatsApp message editing feature rolled out; gives users 15-minute edit window

In a move that users would welcome, WhatsApp has rolled out a feature that allows users to edit their messages and provided a huge timescale to do it in.

WhatsApp has rolled out a feature that allows users to edit their messages. (Pixabay)

WhatsApp has unveiled a new feature that most users would welcome. The new WhatsApp feature allows users to edit their messages and that too across a huge timescale. Mark Zuckerberg took to Facebook to share the news, highlighting that users can now modify sent messages within a 15-minute timeframe.

All you need to do to use the WhatsApp edit messages feature is to simply press and hold the desired message, then select the "edit" option from the menu. Any edited message will display an "edited" tag next to the timestamp, indicating that a change has been made. However, the app does not retain a history of corrections, and previous versions of edited messages are not visible to other users.

"We are delighted to provide you with greater control over your chats, allowing you to correct misspellings or add additional context to your messages. To avail of this feature, simply tap and hold the message you wish to edit for a moment, then select the 'Edit' option from the menu," the company stated in a blog post.

In the earliest versions, WhatsApp users had to either delete a message entirely or send a separate correction. In the previous year, the messaging app extended the time limit for deleting messages from 48 hours to 60 hours.

WhatsApp's competitors, such as Telegram and Signal, have long offered message editing capabilities. In addition, with the release of iOS 16, Apple too has introduced message editing and sending functionality for iMessage.

While WhatsApp's 15-minute editing window may not be as generous as Telegram's 48-hour timeframe, it still offers a valuable improvement.

Twitter also introduced an edit button for its paid users last year, which enabled users to make edits to their tweets multiple times within a 30-minute window after posting. Elon Musk expressed his intention to create a more approachable and less stressful tweeting experience in a blog post last year. Musk highlighted the importance of enabling users to participate in conversations in a manner that aligns with their preferences, stating, "You should be able to participate in the conversation in a way that makes sense to you, and we'll continue working on ways to make it effortless to do just that."